Milk, eggs, and now bullets for sale in handful of US grocery stores with ammo vending machines

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A company has installed computerized vending machines to sell ammunition in grocery stores in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas, allowing patrons to pick up bullets along with a gallon of milk. American Rounds said their machines use an identification scanner and facial recognition software to verify the purchaser’s age and are as “quick and easy” to use as a computer tablet. But advocates worry that selling bullets out of vending machines will lead to more shootings in the U.S. The company maintains the age-verification technology means that the transactions are as secure, or more secure than online sales, which may not require the purchaser to submit proof of age, or at retail stores, where there is a risk of shoplifting. “I’m very thankful for those who are taking the time to get to know us and not just making assumptions about what we’re about,” CEO Grant Magers said. “We are very pro-Second Amendment, but we are for responsible gun ownership. And we hope we’re improving the environment for the community.” “People, I think, got shocked when they thought about the idea of selling ammo at a grocery store,” Magers said. “But as we explained, how is that any different than Walmart?” Federal law requires a person to be 18 to buy shotgun and rifle ammunition and 21 to buy handgun ammunition. Magers said their machines require a purchaser to be at least 21. The machine works by requiring a customer to scan their driver’s license to validate that they are age 21 or older. The scan also checks that it is a valid license, he said. That is followed by a facial recognition scan to verify “you are who you are saying you are as a consumer,” he said. Magers said much of the early interest in the machines has been in rural communities where there may be few retailers that sell ammunition. The American Rounds machines are in Super C Mart and Fresh Value grocery stores in small cities, including Pell City, Alabama, which has a population of over 13,600, and Noble, Oklahoma, where nearly 7,600 people live. This article was provided by The Associated Press.